Energy Bark....

Here's a recipe I found in the November, 2006, issue of Parents Magazine. Yes, I was reading this magazine before Luke was even conceived. We knew we wanted children, and I think I remember getting this subscription for some unused airline miles. It never hurts to be prepared, right?

Anyways, I made it once back then and haven't made it since, that is until tonight.

Here goes....

1 C. Old-Fashioned Oats
1 C. Sliced Almonds
1/2 C. Coconut Flakes
1/4 C. Wheat Germ
2 Tbsp. Whole-Wheat Flour
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp. Butter
2 Tbsp. Honey
**I also added some Craisins for extra sweetness.

**And, for you local readers -- I purchased the wheat germ at Prairie Harvest.

So first -- the ingredients....



Next, line a cookie sheet with foil. I also sprayed it lightly with some cooking spray. At this point, also preheat your oven to 325 degrees.



In a bowl, mix together oats, almonds, coconut, wheat germ, flour, Craisins, and cinnamon.



In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, and honey. Bring to a boil, and cook 30 seconds.



Pour over oat mixture, and stir to combine.



Spread on foil-lined baking sheet.



Bake for 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

**Note: With my oven, I actually only baked it for 17-18 minutes, and it was plenty done. So, my recommendation is to watch it closely for burning.



After baking, let cool completely on baking sheet.



Then, break into 12 pieces for 12 servings. Store in an airtight container.



Clean-up's easy with the foil. And, merely soak the saucepan in hot, soapy water for awhile. Then, it cleans easily as well.



This is by far the chewiest thing I've ever given Luke. I wasn't sure how he'd react. Actually, he did quite well. He didn't ask me for more, but I did give him some right after eating supper. On the other hand, he didn't spit it out nor did he wince. I'll have to give him some again tomorrow. Older kids should do just fine with it. After all, I found the recipe in a parenting magazine.



Marc, however, does enjoy this stuff, and for those of you who know Marc, healthy type stuff isn't his favorite. He's much rather have strips of bacon. He ended up having to work late this evening, and so, when he got home, he was hungry. Energy bark was waiting!



Nutritional Information -- Based on 12 servings

Per Serving:

153 Calories
4 g Protein
9 g Fat
17 g Carb
32 mg Calcium
2 g fiber

**This nutritional information would be WITHOUT the Craisins.

*****

One of my goals with Luke for January was to switch him from his high chair to a booster seat. I'm not really sure if there is an appropriate time frame for this job in the baby/toddler textbooks, but we felt it was time for Luke.

Today, I accomplished that goal, and Luke didn't mind at all. He really didn't care -- as long as he gets his food when he's hungry :)

So, here are a couple of last photos of Luke in his high chair -- both taken this month.





And, here's Big Boy Luke! I actually switched out the chairs when he was taking a nap. So, he had his "after nap snack" in the booster seat first.





And yes, we're still safety people. So, Luke is most definitely strapped in...I'm not sure what would happen if we didn't strap him in.